I didn't tell Mother about this matter, nor did my sister.

My sister was afraid that Mother would worry, while I was afraid of alerting others.

It's really strange that one day my sister and I could actually share the same secret.

While my sister was snuggling in Mother's arms, I quickly took the dead snake to the pigsty, chopped it into pieces, and poured it into the trough.

Mother looked at me, then at my sister, and asked her,

"It seems like you and your brother have been getting along well recently, right?"

After all, since the night when I almost strangled her, she hasn't dared to scold me anymore.

Even when Mother was present, she would only mock me a few times.

My sister was startled all over, not knowing how to answer.

I didn't understand why Mother suddenly asked this question, so I just honestly finished tidying up the house and said to her,

"Mother, I'm done."

My sister suddenly spoke,

"Brother, I want to eat the fish in the river to the east."

The fish in the river to the east was the tastiest in the area.

But the fish there were very clever and wouldn't bite the fishing hooks.

Over time, if you wanted to catch fish from the river to the east, you had to carefully feel your way down and use a fish spear.

By now, the river to the east was covered in broken ice, so if you slipped and fell into it, you would be in mortal danger.

I think my sister really knows how to torment people.

Mother frowned upon hearing this, and she rarely retorted to my sister.

"Wang Wang, stop fooling around. There are no fish there at this time."

My sister pouted in anger, throwing everything on the table onto the floor and yelling.

"No! I want Li Panmei to catch fish for me! I want to eat fish! Fish!"

Mother seemed unhappy, her frown deepening.

I quickly said, "Mother, I'll go!"

I looked at my sister again, softened my tone, and tried to please her, "But I don't know if we can catch fish now. I'll do my best."

My sister jumped off her chair, looked up at me with crossed arms, and said, "I'm going too. I want to see if you really can't catch any or if you're just brushing me off."

Mother wanted to say something, but my sister kicked my leg and said, "Hurry up!"

I quickly lowered my head and agreed, took a fish spear, and left with my sister.

It wasn't until we were a hundred meters away that my sister finally relaxed.

I glanced at her and asked, "Why did you reluctantly come with me?"

My sister pursed her lips and didn't speak, so I continued.

"You kicked me in front of Mother just now."

Before, she always maintained a well-behaved image in front of Mother. Not only did she not kick me, she wouldn't even say anything harsh.

"Lately, it seems like you're afraid of Mother?"

I thought that after I almost strangled her, she would dislike me even more, or even hate me.

But it seemed that things had developed in a direction I had never expected.

My sister nodded, then shook her head. "Don't you think Mother has been acting strange lately?"

That's odd.

If there was anything strange about Mother, it was probably her improved attitude towards me recently.

But it wasn't just Mother who was strange; my sister was strange too.

Her attitude towards me had also improved.

Or rather, it seemed that the people in the house were gradually becoming aware of my existence.

My sister rubbed her arms and said in a trembling voice,

"These days, Mother asks me every day if I feel uncomfortable, and she even randomly asks me if I've been bitten by a snake."